“The U.S.-Israel relationship is one of the most important relationships that we have on the planet,” O’Rourke said.

“And that relationship, if it is to be successful, must transcend partisanship in the United States, and it must be able to transcend a prime minister who is racist.”

Netanyahu is facing an election in Israel, and O’Rourke listed some of the statements he made while campaigning as examples, including warning Israelis about “Arabs coming to the polls” and that he sided with a far-right party in Israel to help him stay in power.

O’Rourke also said Netanyahu “wants to defy any prospect for peace” because of his threat to annex the West Bank.

“I don’t think Benjamin Netanyahu represents the true will of the Israeli people, or the best interests of the U.S.-Israel relationship, or any path to peace for the people of the Palestinian Authority, the Gaza strip and the State of Israel,” O’Rourke continued.

O’Rourke isn’t the first Democrat to criticize Israel in recent weeks. Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of New York recently was criticized for talking about lobbying by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.